The Materials Research Society and the Optical Society of America have named Merrilea Joyce Mayo, an associate professor at Penn State University, as the 1998-99 Congressional Science & Engineering Fellow.

Mayo, who has a PhD in materials science research and engineering from Stanford University, will work on the staff of a member of Congress or as a committee staffer. In that capacity, she will provide input in legislative areas that require scientific knowledge or technical expertise.

Before joining Penn State in 1990, Mayo was a member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories. Her accolades include the National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award and fellowships from the Exxon Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. She also has served on many Materials Research Society committees concerning program planning, graduate student awards and public affairs.